3 Reasons Why Businesses AVOID Online Marketing. What's Yours?

A new year dawns in with a lot of expectations and hope that my business will zoom to the next level this year using online marketing and SEO. I am super excited and decide to look out for help to grow my business online.

Being a traditional manufacturing business I have my questions (skepticism, really) about the media and hence reluctant to make a move. A lot of talk around me in friend circles, social media, WhatsApp messages and competition add to the fuel – using technical jargon like Google rankings, SEO, SMO and Online marketing but something inside keeps asking me, “Will this SEO thing work for me?. Then I make up my mind to go for it … yes 2019 is going to be my breakthrough year with an online version of my business (feeling very happy).

That’s when I hit the second hurdle – “I need help to do this. But, will I get the right help to execute my plans?” – the same friend circles, social media, messages and competition also wail about “money down the drain”, “this SEO is some mushy job that I have no clue about what’s happening?” or “get someone from my sales team to work on this for and see if it helps?”

“Shucks … now I am confused. What to do??”

As a business, do you see yourself getting caught in this yo-yo thought process?

Do Not Worry. You are not alone. 88% of SMEs across India face this every time they look at options to grow their business.

The three KEY reasons Why Businesses (SMEs) DO NOT trust online media to deliver for their business:

A. I am too SMALL to think online.

•I am a small trader or local manufacturer or a grocery shop owner. Either people walk into my business or I reach out to them by phone or visits. Mine is an offline model of business

•Who will find me online? Will it matter?

•Am doing good business with my established network. I don’t think I need to grow any further than this. Am happy with what’s on the plate!

•I can’t afford big bucks needed to “spend” for online marketing.

B. I don’t have TIME to even look at that stuff.

•Everyone I talk to tells me – I need to create content, provide time for developing online strategy. Am too busy handling client calls and meetings. Let’s talk later.

•There is too much to do. Website, blog, stores, Google, social media, video. Who has the time to do all that? Excuse me please ….

•My team is managing this for me. Let them handle the show. I don’t need to be involved. All I want to see is if whatever they do helps our business?

C. I don’t TRUST anyone would “really” help me.

•Have tried before with external agencies. They make their money and I am left in the lurch with nothing to gain.

•They say it will take time. How much time? LOL … I can’t wait for ages to see if this thing is working for me?

•Am not sure most of these agencies or freelancers we hired, had any knowledge about online marketing? I found them wanting on real business issues

•At the end of every month, I used to get complex PDF reports that are hardly understandable. Am left wondering what’s happening?

•Am really not sure how much I should invest in this because no one tells me what will be the ROI? Everyone just talks deliverables – postings, social media links, SEO, etc (aha … am atleast getting to learn the online jargon through these experiences now J)

IMPORTANT: We have listed these out based on our internal survey of the Indian market. We observed most businesses remarked atleast one of these three reasons in our first meeting with them. Please respond with a 1 or 2 or 3 or all 3 to establish your reason to avoid online marketing. OR if you have a different reason to avoid online marketing for your online business than the ones above? feel free to share them via email or comments below. We look forward to reading them and understand your perspective.

If you have any questions or need help creating successful online strategy for your business, do write to us at business@zoomyourtraffic.com